Hello there, and welcome/welcome back to our blog feature which allows us an little extra insight into the lives and creative processes of our lovely local artists at Queen Street Gallery. We just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of the artists who have participated so far; it has been a thoroughly enjoyable collaboration and I can only hope that our readers have enjoyed reading the finished product as I have enjoyed creating it! Without further ado, let's meet this week's artist in the spotlight!
This week's feature is centred around the lovely Lloyd Novelle-Jones who has been a pleasure to work with on this. So let's meet the artist!
Q. From what/whom do you draw your artistic inspiration?
A. I get so much inspiration from other artists on social media, Facebook and Twitter, particularly. They often share their processes, or artworks/ artists which inspire them!
Q. What motivates you to get up in the morning?
A. Our two cats, mainly, especially if one of them is sleeping on the bed. That said, if one of them is fast asleep on the bed, it can have the opposite effect and I’ll stay in bed just a bit longer ....
Q. How would you describe your artistic style in three words?
A. Lively, impressionistic, free. These are comments I’ve had about my work, which I try to aspire to.
Q. How have you been creatively passing time during lock-down?
A. I’ve had to work from home, (I’m employed as a social worker) since the lockdown, so, creatively, I’ve been painting still life and using things as subject, close to hand, which I’m enjoying more and more.
Q. Did you always want to be an artist?
A. Yes, but I haven’t followed any conventional route! I really enjoyed art in school and had a lot of encouragement with it. I went to art school in Swansea and Exeter and finished my fine art degree in 1985. I then had a hiatus, didn’t really carry it on until 2016, where I started painting and drawing in earnest again. In 2015 I had taken time off, unpaid, for 18 months, to help look after my parents, both of whom had become very ill. They both died at home in 2016, within eight months of each other, but they were both able to stay at home. Art was of great benefit to me too and I did quite a few portrait drawings of my mum from that time, which are very precious to me.
Q. What is something that you enjoy getting up to in your spare time, outside of art?
A. Reading ( not so much in lockdown though, strange ) and travelling.
Q. What advice would you give to any aspiring artists out there reading this?
A. There are a hundred reasons you can find for not doing/trying something you really want to do. But we don’t know what’s around the corner, so give yourself the benefit of the doubt and give it a go! Also, the more you do, art-wise, the more it generates. If you get.... something, anything..... down on paper or canvas, however good, bad or indifferent, it’ll prompt something else and before you know it, you have a piece of art !!
“You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have “ - quote by Maya Angelou.
Q. Do you have a favourite artist/piece of art?
A. So many, but three artists that always stop me in my tracks are... John Singer Sargent, Dame Laura Knight, Edouard Manet.
Q. Do you have anything exciting in the works that you are enjoying/looking forward to sharing?
A. Well, I have just dropped off some paintings for the latest exhibition at the Queen Street Gallery! I also have some still life paintings that need to be framed, so will carry on with those. However, thinking now, ( these questions have made me think) maybe look at doing some landscape painting again, too!
What an interesting insight! I think I speak for everyone when I say that we hope you do add more landscape paintings to your portfolio and that we can't wait to see it.
As ever I hope this has been an enjoyable read and we welcome all comments and questions! Looking forward to seeing you in the Gallery soon to have a look at Lloyd's and all our other artists' incredible works.
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